


The Hidden Star

by JudeMathis



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Basketball, F/M, Manga & Anime, Sports
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-29
Updated: 2016-03-29
Packaged: 2018-05-29 22:37:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 25
Words: 14,254
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6396784
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JudeMathis/pseuds/JudeMathis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A former Generation of Miracle returns back from America. What will happen when she starts going to Rakuzan and meets Akashi once again? Will the meeting with Akashi change her life or will they go on separate paths away from each other once again?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Generation of Miracles

Years ago, the basketball team of Teiko Middle School rose to the top by defeating every basketball team. The regulars of the team were known as the "Generation of Miracles" because of their skill level that were greater then other middle school students. After middle school, the Generation of Miracles separated by going to different high schools. The top five of the Generation of Miracles were well-known except there was a sixth player called the Phantom Sixth Player named Kuroko Tetsuya. There was another rumor that had been goign around also in the basketball world that was dealing with the Generation of Miracles. A Hidden Star was among the six players even though that star suddenly vanished during her second year of middle school. The Generation of Miracles continued to play after she had gone until it was time for these six players to go to high school. During the months of summer, one message was sent to all of the Generation of Miracles saying

"I'm returning minna, see you all soon!"

The number was unknown so the group really didn't know who the number belonged to, but they were going to find out soon enough. The person was someone that they all knew who was the Hidden Star of the Generation of Miracles. The Hidden Star was going to show her face again though and was going to be placed in the battle among the Generation of Miracles. 

 


	2. The Hidden Star's Return

**Keiko's pov**

I smiled lightly as I finally arrived back in Japan. My furniture and other belongings had already been shipped and moved into the place I would be living in. I grabbed my bags and waited for a taxi to arrive so I could get to my new home. I had been in America for a little while before deciding it was time to come back to Japan. I pulled out my phone to took at any text messages that I had. I let out a sigh since I didn't see anything from my parents, but I knew that my family wouldn't talk to me. I closed my phone before getting into the taxi that would take me to my apartment. The moment that I arrived at my place, I started to unpack my bags while listening to music. I let out a sigh while I continued unpacking before I heard my phone receive a text. I opened my phone seeing that it was a text from my father. I glared slightly at the message which said

"Got news that you were coming back to Japan, if that is true you still aren't allowed back to us. We don't want to see you, you're not our child anymore so stay away from us."

I rolled my eyes before closing my phone not even caring about replying back. I didn't want anything to do with my family anyways since they treat me like trash. I finished unpacking the rest of my things putting everything where I wanted it to be. I then decided to go get something to eat because I was seriously hungry from traveling pretty much all day. I found a cheap place to eat at since I was still looking for a job at the moment. I was happy to be back in Japan though and I couldn't wait until I get to see Akashi and the rest of the Generation of Miracles, but first I have to deal with getting ready for my new school. 

 


	3. Rakuzan High School

**Keiko's pov**

I was standing outside of my new school Rakuzan High School while smiling lightly to myself. I shifted my bag before walking inside of the school. I was able to find my first class with the help from one of the students helpers that were around. I entered the classroom before the teacher named Mrs. Kojima asked 

"What is your name dear?"

I turned to look at her 

"Keiko Yamada."

She nodded before looking through a list of names then I got my book and placed I would be sitting at. I took a seat at my desk before taking a look outside the window. I was wondering what would it be like for me at this school. The rest of my classmates came into the room before they took their seats after talking to the teacher. Mrs. Kojima passed out a piece of paper that had information over the class. She started to go over it while telling us what we would need for her class. I would be meeting the rest of my teachers in this class. I let out a sigh because I was really wanting my classes to go by faster since I wanted to check out the basketball team already. I was really interested in basketball and it was my favorite thing on earth. I wanted to check out the basketball team and hopefully be allowed to try out for it. I looked up at the clock seeing that it was almost time for my next class to be here. I let out a sigh and pulled out my schedule to see what my next class was going to be. I am hoping that I get to see Akashi and the others soon though because it has been a really long time since I have seen them.  I smiled lightly to myself knowing that I would be seeing them soon. The bell soon rang saying that it was time for the next class. I pulled out one of my random notebooks before something fell out onto the floor. I picked it up and turned it over to look at it to seeing that it was a really old picture from when I was at Teiko. The picture was of the entire group and I after we had won another match during a tournament. This picture was taken before I had left to go to America. I placed the picture back into my notebook keeping it safe as my next class started. Soon enough we got dismissed for lunch, I left the classroom before heading toward the cafeteria. I was about to turn the corer when a familiar flash of red hair passed through the corner of my eye. I looked to see if the owner to the red hair was still there, but they were already gone. The moment that I saw the red hair I had automatically thought of Akashi for some reason. I shook my head before heading off toward the cafeteria so I could get my lunch. The strange red-haired person that I just saw was something that I could deal with later especially if the person was Akashi. 

 


	4. The Basketball Team

**Keiko's pov**

I soon found myself standing outside of the gym that belonged to the basketball team. I shifted my bag slightly before I entered the gym to see if anyone was inside. A few boys were already inside warming up for practice. I looked around the gym seeing if I could find the coach of if the familiar red hair I saw earlier was here. If Akashi was a student of this school then I knew that he would be apart of the basketball team. Akashi was the type that wouldn't say no to playing basketball because he was a player during middle school. I let out a sigh and placed my bag down onto the floor before I saw a red-head walk out of the boy's locker room. I smiled to myself because the person was Akashi even though he had changed a lot. I waited until Akashi walked over his teammates since I wanted to surprise him. Akashi had no clue that I was here even though I did send a message to everyone that was a Generation of Miracle that I was coming back. I held my arms behind my back and waited until Akashi had his back turned toward me while he was talking to his teammates. I smiled before deciding to make my move that would most likely surprise Akashi a lot. I ran over to him quickly and wrapped my arms around him while saying 

"Aka-chan!"

I felt Akashi stiffen up before he relaxed then he moved his head to look at me with his heterochromatic eyes as he said 

"Keiko?"

**Akashi's pov**

I had finished talking to the coach about a few things one of them being about a new member joining. I was somewhat curious about who the new member was, but I figured that they would show eventually. There was one thing that I was still thinking about though. The text message that I had gotten about someone returning to Japan even though I had no clue who it was. I went to go talk to my teammates about what we were going to do during practice today. I figured that we would be working on a few different things today so we could keep our skills in check. I continued to talk to my teammates before I suddenly felt a pair of arms wrap around me from behind while a familiar voice said 

"Aka-chan!"

I froze because there was only one person who ever called me that a very long time ago. I turned to see who the person was before seeing a familiar pair of blue eyes with bluish-black colored hair standing behind me. A name that I hadn't said in a very long time slipped past my lips 

"Keiko?"

The figure smiled and nodded 

"You guessed it Aka-chan, I'm back."

Keiko let go of me before the coach came over and he placed his hand on Keiko's shoulder then he said 

"Well looks like you've already met her, this young lady is the new member that will be joining our team."

I kept a calm look on my face while Kotaro and Reo exclaimed in surprise about Keiko being apart of the team. I knew that having Keiko on the team would be a good thing though because of her basketball skills in middle school. I would like to see how her basketball skills are now though since she most likely has improved a lot while she was gone. 

 


	5. Keiko's Basketball Skills

**Akashi's pov**

Coach Shirogane wanted to see Keiko's basketball skills since he was curious about how well she could play. I was also curious about her skills since it has been a long time that I have seen her play. Coach gave us some instructions for today's practice since Keiko would be joining also. Everyone warmed up while Keiko was getting changed for practice. She soon came out of the changing room wearing her gym clothes then she came over to us before saying 

"All right, I'm ready."

I nodded and split the team three on three to make the practice match fair. Keiko, Reo, and I were on the same team while Kotaro, Eikichi, and Chihiro were on the other team. One of the other students blew the whistle before a ball got thrown into the air. EIkichi was able to catch the ball easily before he started to move down the court. Kotaro and Chihiro moved down the court, but they soon were being guarded. Keiko was standing in front of Kotaro while Reo was guarding Chihiro leaving me to Eikichi. I made eye contact with Keiko and she smiled lightly before nodding. I knew that she was wanting to get ahold of the ball by forcing Eikichi to throw toward Kotaro. I was going to have to pressure Eikichi to make him make that mistake which could get Keiko the ball. I pushed Eikichi back a little bit pushing the pressure onto him waiting to see if it would make the plan work. I could tell that he was already struggling since he was obviously thinking about what to do. He passed the ball toward Kotaro since Keiko had backed up from him fooling Eikichi. I saw Keiko smile before she caught the basketball with ease surprising the others. She then started to dribble the ball toward the goal quickly. She soon stopped because Kotaro was standing in front of her guarding her path since he most likely was going to get the ball from her. The ball bounced up and down a few times and I could tell that Keiko was obviously thinking. She always gets that certain look in her eyes when she is either having fun playing or a challenge is standing in front of her. The focus that Keiko has always reminds myself of an wild animal focusing on their prey. The basketball bounced a few more times and it looked as if Keiko's breathing was following the bounce of the basketball. Then Keiko started to move as Kotaro moved his hand toward the ball so he could get it away from Keiko, but it was obvious that his plan wasn't going to work. Keiko acted like she was going to move toward the left causing Kotaro to move that way confusing him. Keiko suddenly took a sidestep to the right before she passed Kotaro with a lot of speed. Kotaro took a step back, but he wasn't able to catch up since Keiko had shot the ball into the basket scoring a point. The shot that Keiko had performed looked really elegant and it was hard to tell that she had even moved her hands. It was obvious that having Keiko on Rakuzan would be a good thing. She was going to be a good asset for this team. Keiko would also be serving as a manager and a trainer for the team since she used to do that during middle school. Practice soon came to an end before we went home for the night. I knew that with having Keiko being a member of team would be a good thing since her skill level was perfect already. 

 


	6. Official Team Member

**Keiko's pov**

A week had passed since I had showed off my basketball skills to the Rakuzan team. I was waiting to see what the final decision was going to be even though the outcome looked really good actually. I have been spending time with the team though and I was getting along with them really well. They were already like a family to me since my real family didn't want me at all because I wasn't a boy. I let out a sigh as the bell rang telling me that it was time to go to the gym for practice. I picked up my bag after I placed my books into it before leaving the classroom to go to the gym. I was walking by myself when I felt a arm wrap around my neck as I heard Kotaro say 

"Found you Keiko!"

I looked up and smiled 

"Of course you did Kotaro."

I could see that Akashi and the others were behind us. I moved Kotaro's arm from around my neck and we soon arrived at the gym. Coach Shirogane was already in the gym waiting for us to get there. He told the boys to go change, but I had to stay behind because he had something to give me. I watched as he opened a box that was sitting on the table before I got handed two packages. The packages were holding my team jersey and jacket which showed that I was a offical member of the team. I smiled and thanked Coach Shirogane before going to get ready for practice. The uniform and jacket was proof that I was a official member of Rakuzan. I knew that if I didn't have such a bad family life that they would most likely be proud of me. This now was my chance to prove my family wrong and that I am a child that is worth their time. Practice soon came to an end and I packed my things away before picking up my jacket and jersey. Reo and the others had already left except Akashi since he was talking to the coach about something. I walked outside the gym and looked around for a moment before I pulled out my phone. There were a few text messages from my friends in America, but nothing from my family. I answered the messages that my friends sent before I placed my phone back into my bag. That is when I felt a hand on my shoulder causing me to jump slightly before I heard Akashi say 

"Keiko." 

I turned my head to look at him and smiled lightly 

"Yes Akashi?"

He took his hand off of my shoulder 

"Do you need a ride somewhere? I know that you mostly walk home."

I shifted my bag as my phone vibrated telling me that I had another text message most likely from one of my American friends. I smiled lightly as Akashi and nodded 

"Sure Akashi, I could use a ride home."

He nodded and pulled out his phone to make a phone call that was most likely his ride home. I followed Akashi out of the school grounds before I pulled my phone back out to see who had texted me. I answered the message back and closed my phone as Akashi was quietly looking through a book. After a little while, a black colored car appeared in front of us that looked like a small limo. A man came out of the driver's seat before going over to the back door. He opened the door quickly and asked 

"Where would you like to go first young master?"

Akashi closed his book and looked up 

"Keiko needs to be dropped off at her home, you can take me home after."

The driver nodded before Akashi and I got into the car after he placed our bags into the trunk. I gave directions to my place before the driver started to go toward my home. I was looking out the window thinking quietly to myself wondering how Akashi would react to my living quarters. I was living in a apartment at the moment since I didn't want to live with my family because of the way they treated me. The driver soon stopped in front of the place I was living at. The door was opened for me and the driver who was named Takashi handed me my bag. I smiled lightly and thanked him before I felt Akashi grab ahold of my wrist gently. He looked at his driver before telling him to walk away for a few minutes. I gave Akashi a confused looked and asked 

"What's wrong Aka-chan?"

He looked up at me for a moment causing me to blush slightly from his intense gaze 

"If you ever need something just call me all right?"

I nodded as Akashi placed a card in my hand before we said our goodbyes. I smiled lightly while holding the card close to me and thought to myself 

"He still can be caring sometimes."

I turned on my heels and went inside to go work on my homework while the warm feeling of Akashi's hand was still present on my wrist. 

 


	7. Family Troubles

**Keiko's pov**

A few weeks has passed by since Akashi had told me to cal him whenever I need some help. I didn't know that I would be needing his help very soon though because of my parent's selfish needs and dislike toward me. I was walking up the steps to my apartment before I stopped in pace at seeing a familiar face standing in front of my place with the building's owner. I glared and clenched my hand into a fist because the person was my father. The minute that I reached the top step, my father looked at me with hate in his eyes before he said 

"I am putting this apartment back on the market, I am tired of dealing with the bills. You have a week to pack up all of your things and leave."

I glared at my father as the owner had a slightly worried look on her face, but I knew that she wouldn't be able to help out much. My fist was still clenched before I questioned my father 

"Why? We had an agreement about paying for my home... You are breaking that agreement. You are just being selfish again so you can make the rest of the family happy and make my life suffer." 

That was when my father lifted his hand and smacked me right across my face hard. I fell to the floor as my phone slid across the floor accidentally hitting call on Akashi's number. My father shouted back at me that I was worthless and a lot of hurtful things. I placed my hand on the side of my face before a pair of running footsteps caught my attention. I turned my head to look as I felt a familiar warm hand on my shoulder and saw that Akashi was standing behind me. I was surprised to see that he was here, but it made me feel better that Akashi had appeared. He gently removed my hand from my face before glaring slightly because of the bruise that was appearing there already. He asked with a slight smile 

"Are you all right Keiko? Who did this to you?"

I nodded as Akashi pulled me up 

"I'm fine Akashi-kun, my father did this to me."

He nodded and glared at my father in anger since me most likely knew what was already happening. Akashi then spoke to my father in warning and threat 

"I will be taking your daughter to live with me and you will be hearing from my father's best lawyer about the matter of how you treat your daughter."

My father scoffed before he started to walk down the stairs not saying anything else since I knew that he didn't care. I went to my phone and picked up up while my shoulders were shaking slightly because I was angry with my father. That is when I felt Akashi place his hand on my shoulder as he said 

"Calm down Keiko, everything is going to be fine."

I nodded and closed my phone before I picked up my backpack. I was seriously hating my father now and he was hopefully going to pay for this. I opened my apartment and invited Akashi in as he was making a phone call. He was going to let me live with him so I bet that Akashi was finding a way to help me. I started to pull boxes out of the extra closet so I could start packing. I found a few family photos and some of them were only of my father when I had taken them. I decided that I was going to send them to my household without a letter because I wasn't willing to speak to them anymore. I placed them in a box my themselves before Akashi and I started to pack the rest of my things. I knew that everything was going to be okay though especially since Akashi was helping me. I did decide one thing though which was that my family wasn't going to be apart of my life or thoughts anymore. 

 


	8. The New Household

**Keiko's pov**

All of my belongings had been packed in a matter of three days because of the help I had gotten from Akashi and the rest of our teammates. They were surprised that I was going to be moving in with Akashi, but it was the best option for me. I had agreed to living with Akashi and it was better then living in the streets or any motels. The movers had loaded the truck with ease before they took my things to Akashi's house. The last time that I was at his house was during our time at Teiko with the rest of the Generation of Miracles. I remember those days really well and wish that they would happen again, but I know that they won't. I let out a sigh before the driver pulled up in front of my new home. I could see that the place hadn't changed at all, but it was still really pretty. I smiled lightly before Akashi and I got out of the car while the movers were taking my stuff to my already picked out room. I followed Akashi inside the house and waited until the movers had moved everything into my new room. I went to my room and started to unpack while Akashi had gone to get some drinks and snacks for us. I was humming to myself while putting things where I wanted them to be at. I let out a sigh before I went to open another box as Akashi came back into the room. He had two cups of tea and some pastries that were most likely made by the kitchen staff. He placed the tray on one of the tables in the room before Akashi asked 

"Do you like this room Keiko?"

I smiled lightly and nodded 

"I like it Akashi, it is a very nice room."

I unfinished unpacking with Akashi's help before we went to go take a break outside on the back porch. I leaned back as a small breeze blew for a little bit then I reached down to grab a treat. Akashi's hand and my hand accidentally touched each other causing myself to blush slightly as I pulled my hand back quickly 

"Sorry Aka-chan!"

I looked down while blushing as a smirk appeared on Akashi's face then he said 

"It's fine Keiko, you many want to do better at hiding your blush though."

I hid my face as I felt my face warm up even more while Akashi chuckled since he thought that it was fun to tease me. I glared slightly at him before punching him in the shoulder 

"Stop teasing me Aka-chan!"

He smirked while I was blushing because I knew that he was getting a kick out of this. I growled slightly before messing up his hair and he was about to get me back, but we got called for dinner. I stuck my tongue out at Akashi then went inside to go to the dining hall. I smiled happily to myself since I was a lot more happier here with Akashi then I was with my family. I knew that this was going to be my new start without my family and my life was looking better already. 

 


	9. Strange Feelings

**Keiko's pov**

A week had passed since I had moved into Akashi's home and it was feeling like a real home to me then how it would be back at my parent's household. I let out a sigh before getting out of the shower and wrapped myself in a towel while thinking to myself. My mind kept on drifting back to the first day I had moved in and when my hand accidentally touched Akashi's hand. That moment caused my heart to beat a little fast and I knew that I had blushed during that time. I bit my lip slightly and then went to change into my clothes before going to dry my hair. Akashi was helping his father with some personal business dealing with his father's business. I looked down at my feet while the towel was resting on my head thinking about my family. I jumped when I heard a knock on the bathroom door before I heard my personal maid Safu ask 

"Lady Keiko, are you all right?"

I smiled lightly and placed the towel around my neck and opened the door 

"I'm all right Safu, I was just thinking to myself."

She nodded and took the towel from me then she said 

"The young master is done talking business with his father, he is in the garden if you would like to go meet him."

I smiled lightly and nodded 

"Thank you Safu, I will go see Akashi."

I then took the path that would take me to where the garden was before I looked around to see if I could spot Akashi. I smiled lightly when I saw him sitting on the bench as he was flipping through a book. I then snuck up behind him and placed my hands over his eyes while speaking with a smile 

"Hi Aka-chan!"

I saw that Akashi's shoulder went stiff before they relaxed once he heard my voice then he said 

"Hello Keiko."

I removed my hands from over his eyes and sat down next to him while leaning against his shoulders. Akashi marked the page in his book and closed it with a quick snap. There was a few seconds of silence before Akashi said 

"Should we go get something to eat? Lunch will be served soon."

I nodded and sat up 

"Sure Aka-chan."

We left the garden and went into the house before going to the dining hall. The door opened and there wasn't a sign of Akashi's father which does happen a lot. I looked up at Akashi who had a blank look on his face, but he was probably feeling upset on the inside. It seems to me that Akashi and his father are drifting apart, but they could of been like this for a long time. I looked down at my feet before clenching my fist for a moment. Akashi went to go take a seat and I silently vowed to myself that I was going to make Akashi happy. I want to see that old familiar smile on his face once again. I just hope that I will be able to do it since I remember how Akashi was during Teiko and no one from the Rakuzan team would know about Akashi's old self. 

 


	10. The Message

**Keiko's pov**

I was in my room drying my hair while humming quietly to myself even though I was somewhat nervous at the moment. Akashi was talking with the lawyer who was dealing with the investigation about my father. I let out a sigh and big my lip before placing the towel in the hamper. I was about to pick up my phone when I heard the familiar tone of an email appearing on my computer screen. I turned to my computer before opening the email seeing that my mother was the one who sent me the email. I glared slighlty at the screen because I really didn't want to read what she had to say. My mother didn't lift a finger to help me when I was living with my family which caused me to think that she didn't care about me. I looked at the email which said 

"Dear Keiko,   
I am so sorry for not helping you back then. I was afraid of your father and I didn't want him to harm you in any way. I wish that I could take back what I did, but I hope that I can be a real mother to you. Please email me back sweetheart, I miss you so much."

I bit my lip as my hands clenched while my shoulders trembled slightly before I jumped at the sound of knocking on my door. I closed my laptop quickly before wiping at my eyes as I heard Akashi's voice 

"Keiko, it is time for lunch."

I moved back from my desk 

"Okay Akashi."

I opened my door and saw that he was waiting for me. I smiled lightly at him and was about to close my door when I felt a hand on the side of my face. I looked up at Akashi with some confusion on my face before asking 

"What's the matter Aka-chan?"

He scanned my face for a moment which was making my heart beat a little fast then I felt his thumb brush over my cheek gently then he said 

"You've been crying, are you okay?"

I bit my lip slightly and looked down as Akashi was waiting for my answer 

"My mom just sent me an email and she says she is sorry, but I don't want anything to do with my family anymore."

Akashi nodded 

"Don't worry about your family, they don't deserve your attention."

I smiled lightly and nodded because Akashi was right about my family especially my father. They don't deserve my attention because of the awful ways that I was treated from them. We than went to the dining hall to eat our lunch for today. I took a drink out of my tea while thinking to myself about tomorrow. The first basketball tournament of the season would be starting in two days. We would be leaving tomorrow so Akashi and I made sure that everything we needed was already packed for tomorrow. I smiled lightly because it was going to be a lot of fun for me. I was curious about what kind of teams were going to be there. I was hoping that there was going to be some strong players since it will be more fun to play that way. Maybe playing against one of the teams will help with snapping Akashi back to his normal self. I would like to see the old Akashi come back, but that is most likely going to take some time and effort. I knew that I can't work on this by myself because it is going to be difficult, but there has to be a team out there somewhere that can help pull the old Akashi out. 

 


	11. The Tournament Begins

**Keiko's pov**

I got off the bus once it stopped at the sports complex where we would be playing at. Today would be the first day of the tournament, but the actually games wouldn't start until tomorrow. Coach Shirogane had gone to check the team in while we went to go look at the schedule. He wanted us to find out which team we were going to play against first. I found our team name on the schedule and the first team that we were going to play against was Josei High. I had heard of this team before, but they weren't much of a big shot team. I looked at the schedule a little longer and smiled lightly to myself because five of the teams were ones the Generation of Miracles were on. My old teammates were here and I now have the chance to make my appearance to them. None of them knew that I had returned so they were in a big surprise. We got back onto the bus before stopping by to get a bite to eat for the night. Coach Shirogane went over a few things with us about the match tomorrow. I knew that there were a lot of people who were interested in the Rakuzan team. Scouts would be coming to watch the matches because they want to have a good player for their future college teams. After the meeting was over, we left to go to the hotel we were staying at. I was going to be roomed with Akashi since I do live with him and I am one of the ones that I can deal with him better then anyone else. Akashi and I arrived at our room before I claimed the bed that I was going to be sleeping in. I threw my shoes off without a second thought before jumping onto the bed quickly. I laughed lightly as Akashi closed the door before he rolled his eyes then he said 

"Comfy enough for you?"

I smiled and nodded 

"It is a very comfy bed, I think you would like it also."

I sat up before taking off my jacket while Akashi went to shower first. I turned the TV on and flipped through some channels before finding a basketball game. I watched the game with much interest until it was time for me to go take my shower. I grabbed my things and went into the bathroom. I let out a sigh as I felt the warm water hit my skin and I started to think to myself. I was wondering how the start of the tournament was going to go. I got out of my shower and got changed into my night clothes for the night. Akashi was already laying on his bed watching the game that was playing on the screen. I smiled lightly to myself and placed my things down before climbing onto my bed. Akashi noticed my movement and looked over at me 

"Are you ready for tomorrow?"

I smiled lightly and nodded 

"I am, it is going to be fun. Are you going to call a meeting with the others?"

Akashi shifted slightly on his bed and nodded 

"I was planning to, they need to know about you returning here. It will be quite a surprise for them and I need to make sure that they haven't forgotten the promise we made."

Akashi and I soon went to bed for the night since we were going to have to get up early tomorrow. I smiled lightly to myself because I would be playing in my first official game and I knew that I was going to have a lot of fun. 


	12. The Miracles Reunite

**Akashi's pov**

We had arrived at the sports complex to get ready for the first game day of the upcoming tournament. The first team that we would be playing against was Josei High which was another well-known team. Coach Shirogane went to go see what time our game would be starting since he was wanting us to have plenty of time to warm up. Keiko had gotten some information about the team from a few other teams that had played against Josei High before. This team was known for good defense and they were also above the normal height for more people. I knew that my team could handle it though because dealing with tall basketball players wasn't really an issue for us. I pulled out my phone as Keiko returned from filling up the water bottles. I pressed send before closing my phone as Keiko looked at me then she asked 

"Is it time to meet up with everyone again?"

I nodded and placed my phone back into my pocket 

"Yes it is time, Keiko."

She smiled and I told the rest of our teammates that we would be back. Keiko and I then left to go to the meeting spot that I told our former teammates to wait for us there. A reunion was going to be happening today and I knew that they were going to be surprised by Keiko being here. I smirked while keeping my hands in my pocket because this was going to be a tournament that no one was going to forget. 

**Aomine's pov**

I let out a sigh as I was sitting on the steps with my former teammates. We were waiting for Akashi to appear since he had called us to meet once again. Momoi was standing next to me talking to Kise about something random which I really didn't have the heart to care about. I spun the ball in a circle on my finger in boredom then I said 

"Sheesh, what is taking him so long? He always does this."

The rest of my former teammates were quiet since they were messing around with their own phones or just ignoring my question. I huffed before the sound of shoes walking toward us was heard that obviously belonged to Akashi. I looked up at his familiar face that was looking down at us with that same old smirk sitting upon his lips. I then noticed that a person was standing by him, but I couldn't see their face because it was hidden by the hat they were wearing. I really didn't care about who the person was since they probably weren't that important to know about, Akashi then said 

"It has been a long time everyone, I can tell that you haven't forgotten the promise either."

I rolled my eyes and nodded as the unknown figure next to Akashi said 

"I don't think they could forget it even if they tried Aka-chan. Can I take this annoying hat off now? It is bugging me."

The moment that I heard the nickname Aka-chan, I looked up at the figure with a curious thought going through my head because there was only one person that we all knew who would call Akashi by that name. The minute that the person took off the hat, a surprised look appeared across all of our faces. The person standing in front of us was Keiko Yamada who we haven't seen in a very long time because she moved away to go to America. Keiko smiled at us as she placed one of her hands in her jacket pocket and said 

"Hey guys, long time no see."

**Keiko's pov**

I smiled lightly as I took my hat off before seeing all of the surprised faces of my former teammates. I rolled my eyes slightly before saying with a smile 

"Hey guys, long time no see." 

I was about to walk down the steps when Kise ran toward me fast before he picked me up like he used to during the time at Teiko. I laughed lightly as Kise said in a somewhat whiny way

"Keiko! I have missed you! Why did you have to leave?!"

I rolled my eyes and was about to answer Kise's question when Akashi said 

"Kise, put Keiko down."

Kise pouted before he placed me back onto my feet. I moved my jacket back into place since Kise messed it up then Akashi said 

"We got to get back Keiko, we need to go warm up."

I nodded and walked back up the steps and waved bye at my old teammates, I smiled at them 

"See you all later, I hope that I can play against you guys sometime."

We parted our ways to head back to where our teams were waiting at. I couldn't wait to play though since it was going to be a lot of fun. I do wonder what kind of people are going to be here though. I hope that I can find some strong players to play full out against since it is more fun that way. 

 


	13. The Starting Game

**Keiko's pov**

I was standing out on the basketball court with my teammates as we were warming up for the game today. We were playing against Josei High today which was another well-known team. We soon finished warming up and Coach Shirogane called us in so we could talk about our plays. It was going to be a little while since I was going to go out onto the court and play. Coach was wanting to let Akashi and the others play first for a little while. I knew that I could take this chance to evaluate the team before I would go out onto the court. The referee blew the whistle as the basketball got thrown into the air starting the game. The sound of excitement was heard from the crowd. I knew that Rakuzan was always going to get the cheers like this because of how well-known the school and team was. I let out a sigh while I watched the game picking up the habits of the players. I could tell that these players had habits that most likely were very hard to break. I smiled lightly as the boys continued to play not really struggling against this team. I could tell that they were trying to stop Akashi and the others, but it wasn't working very well. The look in Akashi's eyes were saying that he was finding the match boring. I sighed and frowned because I wasn't liking the look that Akashi had. I finished getting all the information that I needed just by watching the game. Coach Shirogane had an unreadable look on his face as the game continued on. We were in the lead and the score was 25-20, but the points were going to keep on rising. Coach Shirogane waved me over before he asked 

"Have you had enough time to evaluate the team, Keiko?"

I nodded and smiled lightly 

"I have."

Coach nodded before we looked back at the team for a moment then he spoke 

"You are going to play in the second half, I want you to start warming up in ten minutes."

I smiled to myself and went to go get ready for my warm up, I couldn't wait to go out onto the court and play. This was going to be so much fun and I knew that I was going to enjoy it. I get to play on the same court with Aka-chan once again which was something that I so missed. I then went to go start warming up with a big smile on my face since I could feel the joy building up inside of me wanting to come out with a force. 

 


	14. Keiko's Turn On The Court

**Keiko's pov**

I had finished warming up before I would be going out onto the court to play. I smiled as I stretched my arms to help with the stiff feeling that they had. I then went back to where my team was at after one of the first years came to get me. I reached the court and removed my jacket as Coach Shirogane asked 

"Are you ready to play Keiko?"

I nodded as Chihiro came off of the court before we swapped positions. My feet crossed the black line that was separating me from the court as I went to stand with Akashi and the others. I smiled at them before Akashi said 

"Are you ready Keiko?"

I nodded while taking my position on the court before the whistle got blown by the referee. The ball got tossed into the air before it was caught by Nebuya easily. I moved back some before the basketball moved around the court at a fast pace. I made eye contact with Reo before nodding as we moved down the court. I stopped at the free throw line before the ball was tossed at me which I caught easily. I smiled as one of the players came toward me, but it was already too late. I moved my arms back slightly while taking a step back then I aimed the ball at the basket. The ball moved around the rim for a second before it fell through the basket scoring a point. The score was now twenty-eight to twenty wiht us in the lead, but I could tell that Josei High wasn't the type to give up easily. I took a deep breath as I watched the ball get passed around the court following the obvious movements that I could see. I looked at Kotaro before making eye contact with him then moved my eyes to his left looking a spot on the court. Kotaro nodded before going to stand in that spot and waited. The ball made its way toward Kotaro and he caught it easily while blocking the opponent. Cheers could be heard from the crowd and the excitement was rising. Reo placed his hand on top of my shoulder before saying 

"Sei-chan wants us to finish this."

I nodded and smiled lightly before going to block one of the players while Kotaro went toward the basket. The player was pushing against me slightly, but I was able to keep them from moving so they wouldn't get in Kotaro's way. Kotaro was able to get by the opponent he was up against before the ball landed into the basket. I looked over at Akashi who had a smirk on his face because the match was going the way he wanted it to. I looked away and clenched my fist slightly before going to the other side so we could block Josei High from scoring anymore points. I bit my lip slightly because of the presence that was coming from Akashi. This demanding presence that he had felt like to me it was saying bow down to me, I am greater then you. I looked at the faces of Josei High and could see that they were somewhat intimated by Akashi's presence. I let out a quiet sigh before looking up from my feet as we got ready to bring this match to a end. 

**Akashi's pov**

I smiled as the game to an end leaving Josei High behind with the look of defeat on their faces. The crowd could be heard from the bleachers because of the game. I walked off the court with the rest of my team. I didn't even bother shaking my hand with the captain of Josei High because of how weak the team was. I saw out of the corner of my eye that Keiko had acknowledge the team before they both walked off of the court. I sighed as she picked up her things before we left to head back to the bus that would be taking us to the hotel. I stopped in the hallway before saying 

"You four go on ahead, I want to speak with Keiko privately."

Reo had a slight look of concern on his face before they left without any questions. I then turned my attention to Keiko who had crossed her arms across her chest. I closed my eyes for a moment then made eye contact with her before saying 

"Why did you acknowledge them? They didn't deserve our attention?"

I saw her hand clench slightly as a slight glare appeared across her face 

"All teams need to be acknowledge no matter what, it makes them feel better about their playing." 

I sighed and shook my head 

"Teams that don't stand a chance against us don't deserve to be praised. They should just be left to deal with their defeat."

Keiko's hand ended up clenching the strap of her bag tightly then she exhaled before looking up at me with a serious face that probably would of scared someone who didn't know her. She then looked down and shook her head 

"You're wrong Akashi, but I don't even know why I bother talking to you about this. The way you are now won't change the issue at hand... You aren't the same Aka-chan that I used to know." 

Keiko then left me standing in the hallway while I was looking at the spot were she just stood. I sighed before leaving so I could get on the bus with my teammates while thinking over the words that Keiko said for some strange reason. 

 


	15. Akashi's Thoughts

**Akashi's pov**

I sighed while I was in the bathroom drying my hair after I had gotten out of the shower. The hotel room was quiet because Keiko wasn't talking to me at the moment. The argument was still fresh in our minds which was the reason why we weren't talking to each other at the moment. I looked at the foggy mirror while the words that Keiko spoke earlier were playing in my head over and over again 

"You're wrong Akashi, but I don't even know why I bother talking to you about this. The way you are now won't change the issue at hand... You aren't the same Aka-chan that I used to know."

I pulled the towel off of my neck and placed it down before leaving the bathroom. Keiko was laying on her bed looking at the TV as a basketball game was on. I sat down on my bed before looking at my phone seeing that I had a text message from Reo. I opened my phone and looked at the message which said 

"I don't really know what happened between you and Keiko, but she was crying earlier. You may want to talk to her Sei-chan, I think it would help and make both of you feel better."

I looked over at Keiko and saw that she still looked upset from earlier which was causing myself to be worried about her. I closed my phone and placed it on the bed before letting out a sigh while rubbing the back of my neck. Keiko was still looking at the screen with her head leaning against her hand. I looked down at my feet before getting up from the bed then I placed my hand gently on her shoulder. Keiko looked up at me and I could see that her eyes were still red from crying. She looked down as I sat on the bed before speaking 

"Keiko, we need to talk."

Her gaze stayed down as I was greeted with silence from her, but then I saw her nod 

"Okay Aka-chan."

She moved before sitting up on the edge of the bed and it fell silent between us for a few seconds. I clenched my fist tightly for a moment because I really didn't know how to start. Keiko and I opened our mouths at the same time before we both said 

"I'm sorry."

Our eyes went wide for a second before Keiko let out a light laugh. The moment that she laughed seemed to make the tension in the room disappear. The heavy feeling on my shoulders went away and that moment I knew that Keiko and I were going to be just fine. There was only one thing that was bothering me at the moment because of the butterflies I had in my stomach. I couldn't really explain what the feeling was, but one thought seemed to cross my mind over and over again in the form of a question that was difficult to answer 

"Do I really like Keiko?"

Of course that thought was going to go unanswered because I really didn't have the answer to it at the moment. I grumbled quietly to myself in annoyance hoping that the answer will show itself soon before I make a fool out of myself in front of everyone. 

 


	16. Evaluating the Teams

**Keiko's pov**

I had been woken up by Akashi the next morning once the alarm clock went off. I stretched before getting ready for the day that was ahead of me. Our team wasn't going to be playing until the afternoon, but I was going to watch a game that had one of the Generation of Miracles playing. The team was Shutoku High and they were playing against Kinka High which was a school that wasn't very invovled with sports that much. They were one of the schools that dealt with academics more than anything else. Akashi was going to come with me because of his duty being a captain of the team. I placed my jacket on before Akashi and I left to go watch the game with Shutoku and Kinka. I was curious to how the game would go since I haven't seen Midorima's skills in a long time. I smiled and kept my hands in my jacket pockets feeling the excitement that was going to be at the game today. This always happened during a game with the Generation of Miracles since people look forward to see them play. A game with the Generation of Miracles is something that one could possibly watch over and over again. 

**-At the sports complex-**

Akashi and I soon arrived at the complex to watch Midorima's team. People were already filling up the stadium since the game was going to start soon. Akashi was wanting to find a good spot to sit so we could get a good view of the game. We were able to find a good spot that gave us the entire view of the court. I looked at the time of my phone before the sound of sneakers were heard across the floor. I smiled lightly as my eyes fell onto Midorima's team Shutoku. They looked like they were ready to play, but I could see the presence they obviously had was powerful. The presence would always be like this when a Generation of Miracle always comes out onto the court. I smirked because this was going to be a very interesting game to watch. I just wonder how this game is going to go though since I haven't seen Midorima play in a long time.  

Midorima's pov 

The moment that I had stepped onto the court, it felt like a pair of eyes were watching me. I looked up into the stands and saw that Keiko and Akashi were watching me. I felt my eyes hardened with a slight glare then moved my attention away from them. I wasn't going to worry about them at the moment since I was playing against them for now. 

**Keiko's pov**

I leaned my arms against the railing with interest watching every move that both teams were doing. I could see the big difference between the teams already and Midorima had improved a lot since I last saw him. Midorima and number five worked really good together which was different for Midorima's sake. Each team member of Shutoku had their own skill level which made themselves a godo team, but there were some flaws. Shutoku was a good team, but a really good player who has the same skill level as a Generation of Miracle would be a big challenge. The game soon came to a end with Shutoku being the obvious winner because of the score. Shutoku had scored in the hundreds while the other opponent didn't even get past the number thirty. I placed my hands in my pockets with a light smile across my face looking forward to seeing the rest of my former teammates play. 

 


	17. Realization

**Akashi's pov**

Another day had passed and my team had won the game once again that was pleasing to the coach. The team and I were going to have another tournament game once again since we were still in. The way that the games have been laid out has each team with a Generation of Miracle really spread out from each other. I knew that it was probably going to be a few days or weeks before the more serious games will happen. My team had already finished eating so we were back at the hotel for the night. I let out a sigh before looking at my phone seeing that it was already ten-thirty at night. Keiko was in the bathroom at the moment getting ready for bed most likely. I looked up at the TV as a basketball game was moving across the screen. I hadn't been playing that much attention to it so the game wasn't that interesting to me. I laid back on my bed and closed my eyes with a sigh as my thoughts were running wild in my head. They weren't going to quiet down so I didn't have the choice to ignore them. My thoughts kept on drifting to Keiko like they were trying to tell me something. The thoughts continued to run through my head around and around while I continued to think. It wasn't until the wild thoughts suddenly stopped that I suddenly realized one thing. My hand moved onto my chest and I could feel my heart beating at a fast pace. I sat up and bit my lip slightly in frustration as the door to the bathroom opened. I looked up to see Keiko standing there drying her hair before she asked 

"Is something wrong Aka-chan?"

I snapped out of my thoughts before shaking my head then I looked away 

"No, everything is fine Keiko..."

She nodded and placed the towel down

"Okay if you say so."

The room fell silent with the only sound of the TV playing. The realization that I came to was that I was in love with Keiko... It felt like I had always have been, I just didn't realize it until now. 

**Keiko's pov**

I let out a nervous sigh while I was standing in front of the bathroom mirror. Silence was the only thing I could hear for that moment. I swallowed slightly as I could feel my heart beating fast within my chest. It felt like it was hard to breath, but I knew why. I had this crushing feeling that was trapped inside of my heart wanting to come out. I looked toward the bathroom door while my heart kept on beating. My heart and thoughts kept on telling me one thing. Those thoughts and the feeling in my heard caused me to realize this one thing also. I was afraid to admit it at first, but I knew that I wouldn't be able to push this away. I bit my lip and looked down while hugging myself before that same thought appeared across my mind once again. My feelings and thoughts had finally told me the truth which was the final answer to my question, thoughts, and feelings. I was in love with Akashi Seijuro and nothing was going to change my mind about that for the rest of my life. 


	18. The Confession

**Keiko's pov**  

I placed my things into my bag as we were getting ready to leave the court. Another day had passed, we had won the game today which did make the boy's happy. I did notice one thing though, Akashi was acting somewhat strange that morning though. I did ask him what was wrong, but he brushed it off and told me that he was fine. I didn't believe him one bit about that part, but I decided not to press the matter because of the game today. We got onto the bus before the decision of where to eat at was made. I made eye contact with Akashi for a moment as he got onto the bus. The moment that we made eye contact, I could automatically tell that something was bothering him though. I sighed because I knew that Akashi wasn't the type to admin it since he can be stubborn. We soon arrived at the restaurant and ate our meal for the night. Akashi looked distracted during dinner and I guess that Reo noticed also because he looked over at me. I shrugged my shoulders before it was time to head back to the hotel. I picked up my bag with a sigh and went to board the bus while keeping a eye on Akashi because of how he was acting. I have never seen him be distracted before, he was rarely like that in middle school which is making me wonder what was going through that head of his. 

**Akashi's pov**

I was looking out the window watching the passing scenery as my thoughts were running through my head. I let out a quiet sigh before I looked up at Keiko who was sitting a few seats ahead of me. I looked down as this strange feeling was felt inside of my chest. This feeling was getting bothersome, but I was going to talk to Keiko tonight about this. This might prove to be a difficult task to me, but one way or another we were going to talk. 

**-at hotel-**

I had climbed off the bus once we arrived at the hotel for the night. There was going to be a important game tomorrow with Seirin vs. Too Academy. It was a rematch between the teams so it would be interesting to see who was going to win. Coach Shirogane then spoke up 

"Get a good rest tonight, the games might get harder along the way from now on. I want all of you to be prepared."

We nodded before it was time to go back to our room for the night. I shifted my bag before the team started to walk inside. I looked at Keiko before grabbing ahold of her wrist which made her look at me. Keiko had a confused look on her face before saying 

"Aka-chan? What's wrong?"

I looked up at the rest of the team seeing that they had gone inside then I said 

"I want to talk..."

She nodded and we went over to a bench that was nearby. Keiko looked up at me before asking 

"What do you want to talk about?"

I sat down on the bench with a sigh and clenched my fist for a moment not knowing where to start. That is when I felt Keiko's hand touch mine as she lightly squeezed my hand 

"You can tell me Aka-chan."

I nodded before letting out the breath I was holding 

"I've had these strange feelings for the past few days... I don't really known how to describe them, but they are toward  you..."

Keiko nodded as she rubbed my hand gently then I opened my mouth again before she had the chance to speak hoping that my words would get through 

"If we were in a shogi game, I would be the king and you would be the queen. So become my queen, the only thing you have to do is say yes." 

I saw her eyes go slightly wide as a slight blush appeared across her face. I probably looked exactly like her at the moment because of what I just said. There were a few seconds of silence and I seriously thought that I said something wrong. I turned my head to look away before I felt Keiko hug me from behind. My eyes went slightly wide as I felt her lips touch the side of my face before I heard Keiko say 

"Yes Aka-chan, I will be your queen." 

 


	19. Next Morning

**Keiko's pov**

My eyes flickered opened the next morning as I heard a shuffling sound come from behind me. I shifted slightly before hearing Akashi say 

"Keiko, it's time to get up."

I sighed before hiding my face into the pillow since I really didn't want to get up. I heard Akashi sigh before I felt his hand touch my shoulders gently then he spoke right by my ear 

"Looks like you won't be getting a good morning kiss then."

I bit my lip as I felt my face turn slightly red before turning my head to look up at him. He smirked before placing his lips against mine then said 

"Good morning."

I smiled lightly before we both got ready to go watch the match between Seirin and Too Academy. I was curious about Kuroko's new team though. He had found a new light apparently and I was curious to see how well he does with Kuroko's plays. Kuroko and Aomine did have good plays, but it was obvious that Aomine was missing something. I could see that Aomine was missing something and I'm pretty sure that Kuroko could tell also. I slipped my jacket on before grabbing my phone as Akashi asked 

"Ready to go?"

I nodded and smiled lightly 

"I'm ready Aka-chan."

We left the hotel before making our way to the sports complex to watch the interesting game that was going to be out on the court. I couldn't wait to see this match though because it was going to be a very interesting match indeed. 

**Reo's pov**

I let out a yawn as I was walking down the sidewalk to go to the sports complex. I was meeting up with Sei-chan and Keiko to watch the match. I rubbed the back of my head before arriving at the sports complex. I looked around the spot to see if I could find them. I spotted them standing near the entrance of the complex waiting for me. I was about to say something before I felt my jaw drop open because of what I was looking at. Keiko was laughing about something and I swear that Akashi had a light smile across his face. I have never seen a smile appear across Akashi's face before. Whatever Keiko was doing, apparently it was making a big change in Akashi. I smiled lightly and made my way over to where they were at knowing that today was going to be a very interesting day. 

 


	20. Seirin and Akashi's Offer

**Keiko's pov**  

Reo, Akashi, and I went inside the arena before we found a place to sit down at. The seats were filled with people as they were waiting for the game to start. I leaned back in my seat as the people around us while talking before the doors opened to the court. Kuroko's team Seirin came out onto the court looking ready for the match would be happening today. I could see that Seirin did have some height on their side because there were a few tall players, but the red-head was the tallest of the group. He was most likely the new light that Kuroko was playing with from now on. I smiled lightly to myself since I was curious on how Kuroko and his new light work together as a team. Seirin went over to their side of the court before Tōō Academy appeared. The cheers got louder as they walked across the court while a few conversations were going on around us about Aomine's team. I could tell that Tōō Academy was the favorite, but there were people who were rooting for Seirin also. My eyes flickered over both teams for a moment. I could tell that both teams were obviously strong, but they did have some weak and strong points. This is going to to be a very interesting match already because of the skill level that both teams already had. The teams then went out onto the court getting ready to play this game. There was silence as the starters from each team stood around waiting for the ball to be thrown into the air. The whistle was blown before the ball was thrown into the air starting the match. The red-head from Seirin was able to catch the ball first before moving down the court. He obviously knew how to use his height to his advantage which probably comes in handy a lot. I can see that his teammates have a lot of trust in him already even though he is only a first year. This was a very interesting team though since their trust level was higher then the trust that Tōō Academy has. Both teams moved around the court scoring and defending each other which was looking hard for both teams. The first quarter soon came to a end with Seirin in the lead by four points. I smiled lightly because I was collecting information over them for when we have to play against them in the future. I stood up fro my seat and decided to go stretch my legs for a little bit. Akashi ended up going with me while Reo stayed in his seat so he could keep them saved. I stretched my arms while walking with Akashi and thinking about the first part of the game that I just saw. Akashi was silent before I felt his hand touch my shoulder which caused myself to look at him and I asked 

"What's wrong Aka-chan?"

We made eye contact before he started to speak 

"I want to talk to you privately."

I nodded 

"Okay..."

I followed Akashi to a place that was away from the crowds and quiet. I placed my hands in my pocket while Akashi stood in front of me

"What do you want to talk about, Akashi?"

He crossed his arms before leaning back against the wall then he started to speak 

"I have been talking to Coach Shirogane lately about a few things. We both came to a conclusion about making you a regular, would you want to do that?"

I smiled lightly at Akashi then I nodded 

"I would love to Aka-chan being a regular would be great."

I ended up hugging Akashi before we walked back to where Reo was at holding each other's hand. I smiled while holding Akashi's hand even though he look embarrassed about it. I laughed lightly because I thought that he looked adorable since he is the type that doesn't get embarrassed easily. I was glad that I was dating Akashi though since he has been the only one that cared about me and our feelings for each other wouldn't keep us apart. 

 


	21. Nightmare

**Akashi's pov**  

My eyes flickered slightly as they opened for some reason before I looked at the clock. It was close to two in the morning as my eyes blinked before hearing a sound to my left. I looked over to my left to where Keiko was figuring that I would see her sleeping peacefully, but something was off. I could see tears on her cheeks as she was clutching the pillow somewhat. I got out of my bed before making my way over to her. I gently ran my fingers through her hair before saying 

"It's all right Keiko."

I sat down on the bed and kissed her forehead which caused her to wake up. She looked up at me with her blue colored eyes as the tear tracks were still on her cheeks. I gently ran my thumb across her cheeks getting rid of the tears as Keiko spoke 

"Aka-chan..."

I smiled lightly at her and kissed her forehead once again before she moved closer to me as I ran my fingers through her hair. I could feel her shoulders shaking slightly probably from the nightmare which told me that it bothered her a lot. I rubbed her back as she let out a breath which told me that she was starting to calm down. I stayed next to Keiko speaking words of comfort as she started to relax. There was silence between us, but words weren't needed since I knew Keiko enough already by now. The crying and shaking of her shoulders soon stopped and I was about to go back to my bed, but Keiko clutched my shirt. I looked into her eyes and saw that that were asking for me to stay. I smiled lightly and said 

"All right Keiko."

She moved over and I laid down on the bed before Keiko hid her face into my chest. I wrapped my arms around her while pulling the blanket over us. I knew that she wasn't going to talk about the bad dream especially if it deals with something that she doesn't want to remember. I closed my eyes while Keiko kept her face hidden in my chest staying quiet. I was staying quiet before a few minutes passed when I heard the sound of quiet breathing coming from Keiko. I smiled lightly because she had finally fallen back asleep which meant that she was going to be just fine. I kept my eyes closed as Keiko moved closer to me before I went back to sleep for the night. Tomorrow was going to be a very long day since we would be playing our second game of this tournament. My team would be stepping out onto that court once again to face against our opponent. Tomorrow my team was going to win the match though since most of the teams haven't been a match for us. Keiko might end up playing on the court tomorrow depending on how the game ends up going. I was looking forward to tomorrow though especially seeing how Keiko is going to play tomorrow and that I will get to spend more time with her also. 

 


	22. The Jerky Team

**Keiko's pov**

I placed the water carrier down by the bench after filling them up for the team. The boys were already out out on the court warming up for the game today with people. I stretched my arms for a moment before Coach Shirogane told me to go warm up since I would be playing as a starter. I then made my way to the court and started to warm up as the other team was standing across from us. A lot of them had some height, but I knew that it wasn't going to be a problem to deal with that. I have dealt with playing basketball against tall players before we we have three tall players on your team so that will be helpful once the game starts. We finished warming up before it was time for the game to start. I went out onto the court with my team facing the other team who had somewhat bored looks on their faces. The whistle soon went off before the ball got thrown into the air which was the start of the game. This game most likely wasn't going to be much of a challenge since they probably were just another low team to Akashi once again. 

**Akashi's pov**

The first part of the game was going really smoothly since we were in the lead at the moment. The team wasn't really doing anything to fight back against us probably because we were too strong for them. We had scored point after point making our score grow bigger each time before the whistle was blown bringing an end to first part of the game. There was a fifteen minute break before the second quarter was going to start. We listed to Coach Shirogane speak about a few things while getting ready for the next part of the game. Everything was going the way that I wanted it to so I wasn't going to change anything about the plays we were making. I got a drink from my water before it soon came time to go back out onto the court. My time and I would be moving forward tournament once we win this game. 

 **Keiko's pov**  

I gave a sigh before heading back out onto the court to play the second quarter. We lined up once again before I noticed that there were a few smirks on the other team's players faces which gave me a warning feeling. I really didn't know why, but my gut was telling me that something was going to happen. The whistle soon blew being passed around the court. Reo had the ball and was moving to score a basket when I saw our opponents try to hit Reo while standing in the referee's blind spot. I glared slightly because of it, but Reo got away and scored before he got harmed by them. This team was a cheat because of what they are trying to do to my team. I had to be careful also though since they could try and do the same thing to me. This is what was causing my bad feeling hopefully nothing seriously is going to happen since no one deserves to get hurt by anyone. 

 


	23. The Second Quarter

**Keiko's pov**

I gave out a unhappy sigh as I was standing on the court while catching my breath for a moment. Our opponents were still trying to cheat at the moment, lucky enough no one had gotten seriously hurt though. My eyes scanned the court for a moment seeing what was going to happen next. I was also thinking to myself mostly about how to show what this team was doing. I bit my lip slightly before the ball got handed to me and I started to dribble across the court. I left them behind before I got stopped by one who was standing in front of me, but I passed the ball to Kotaro knowing that he would be able to score. Everything was going smoothly even though the team were still trying to give us a few bruises. I took a step back for a moment since of of the team members tried to hit me in the stomach with their elbow. I didn't notice that one of the other team members were standing behind me until I felt that they were towering over me. I looked up at him quickly seeing that there was a hateful look in his dark colored eyes which was giving me a awful feeling in the pit of my stomach like before. That was when I felt a terrible pain in the back of my knee with a lot of force causing a popping sound to be heard over the sounds that were going on around me during that time. I bit my lip as I fell to the ground hard while the whistle was blown putting the game on hold. I suddenly felt a pair of hands on my shoulders while I held my knee in pain hearing my teammates speak from above me. I soon felt myself get picked up off the court while my knee was still throbbing as a thought crossed my mind as I got carried away from my team 

"I might not be able to play anymore....."

I closed my eyes hiding them behind my arm while I had this dreadful feeling in my stomach because of what just happened to me and that my career could be over for the rest of my life. 

**Akashi's pov**

Keiko got carried off the court after she had gotten injured by the opponent that we were facing against. Chihiro ended up coming out onto the court with us to finish off the game while Coach Shirogane went to go see how Keiko was doing. The signal went off starting the game once again as we moved to play and get revenge by winning against this team because of what they have done to us. I could tell that everyone wasn't very happy about what had happened to her, but this was going to be one thing that would push them to play even more and win another game in this tournament once again. 

 


	24. The News

**Keiko's pov**

I was sitting in a small waiting room where I was getting my knee looked at. I had already gone through the process of getting it x-rayed since the doctor wanted to see what was wrong with my knee. Coach was out in the hallway on the phone probably talking to Reo or Akashi seeing how the game turned out. I looked at my phone while waiting before I gave a small sigh since I had been waiting for about thirty minutes already. Akashi had sent me a message saying that he would be coming as soon as he could which made me smile lightly. The door soon opened revealing the doctor and Coach Shirogane before they came inside. I waited as my x-rays were put up before the doctor turned toward me 

"Sorry for the wait Miss Yamada, I have taken a look at your x-rays. It seems that your ACL has been torn, you will need surgery and possibly six to nine months of rehabilitation for this injury to heal." 

I nodded as the doctor picked up the clipboard 

"A torn ACL is a easy fix though so you will be able to play again once it heals, it might just take a little time."

We talked about a few more things and I knew that I would have to make the trip back to America since that was where my doctor was at. Akashi soon came and checked on me before he went to go talk to the doctor about a few things. I looked down at my feet before getting a protective brace for my knee. Akashi sat down by me after he had finished talking to the doctor and he rubbed my back gently then he said 

"Go back to America Keiko, you need to get your knee fixed. Everyone will be here when you return though."

I nodded and smiled lightly to myself 

"Okay Aka-chan, I will go... Just wait for me to return."

We soon left the hospital to go pack so I could leave as soon as possible for America for the surgery and the long process of rehabilitation that I would have to go through. 

 


	25. Chapter 25

**Keiko's pov**

I climbed out of the car that was sitting outside of the airport while the driver Noya pulled my luggage out. Akashi walked with me as I took care of everything to get onto the plane. I had already said goodbye to the rest of my teammates promising to them that I would return. I was going to be staying with my American family who was also the coach of the team while I was there. I stopped in front of the security line with Akashi knowing that this was the last time that I would be seeing him for a while. I shifted my bag as Noya made his way back to the car to let us talk privately. I smiled lightly at Akashi and hugged him tight 

"I'm gonna miss you, Aka-chan."

He hugged me back and rubbed my back some 

"I know Keiko, everyone here will be waiting for you though."

He placed his lips against my forehead gently before he leaned his forehead against mine, I smiled at him and nodded 

"That better be a promise, mister."

Akashi rolled his eyes slightly then smiled some 

"It is a promise Keiko, the team and I will be waiting for you my queen."

I giggled lightly since that was what Akashi called me when he asked me to become his girlfriend. I knew that the promise wasn't something that we would break since it was true. I hugged Akashi one last time and he planted a kiss against my lips gently before we parted ways with a goodbye knowing that we would see each other again. I soon got onto the plane taking my seat as the passengers and crew were getting ready for the flight to leave. I leaned my head against the window looking outside as I thought to myself about the promise and knowing that I would be coming back to Akashi and my team sometime soon. 

                                                                              **_The End_**


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